Who issues a purchase order — the buyer or the seller?

The buyer issues the PO to the seller (supplier) to authorize the purchase at agreed terms.

Can I create a purchase order without an account?

Yes. The ProEInvoice guest PO builder is free and produces a downloadable PDF of your finished PO without sign-up.

How do I number my POs?

Use a consistent prefix and an unbroken sequential number, e.g., PO-2026-0001. Use the PO number helper above to get your next number.

How to Make a Purchase Order for Suppliers (Step-by-Step)

A well-built purchase order keeps your procurement clean, your suppliers happy, and your accounting reconciled. This walkthrough takes you from blank screen to a signed, sent PO in seven steps — with a free PO number helper at the bottom.

Step 1: Confirm the Need and Get Approval

Before raising a PO, confirm the request internally — a quick budget check or department-head sign-off prevents downstream disputes.

Step 2: Pick or Verify the Supplier

Make sure the supplier is approved, has up-to-date banking details, and matches your procurement policy. Save them in your vendor list to avoid re-entry.

Step 3: Generate a PO Number

Use a consistent format like PO-YYYY-#### or PO-####. Use the helper widget below to get the next number in your sequence. Never reuse a PO number.

Step 4: Add Line Items with Specifics

SKU or product code (when available)
Clear description — quantity, unit, specifications
Unit price negotiated with the supplier
Expected delivery date per line

Step 5: Set Terms

Spell out payment terms (Net 30 is common), incoterms (e.g., DAP, FOB), warranty, and acceptance criteria. Ambiguity here causes 80% of vendor disputes.

Step 6: Route for Approval

Most companies require a second-signer for POs above a threshold (often $1,000 or $5,000). Document the approval inside the PO or the email trail.

Step 7: Send to the Supplier and Track

Email the PDF to your supplier's order desk and CC your AP team. Track the PO status: Sent → Acknowledged → Delivered → Invoiced → Paid.

Quick Example

BrightCafe needs new espresso beans. The owner generates PO-2026-0078 for 20kg of beans at $32/kg, total $640.00, Net 14 with the roaster. The roaster acknowledges within a day, ships in 3, and invoices against the PO. AP matches the invoice line-for-line and pays on day 14.

What Goes Wrong (and How to Avoid It)

Vague descriptions — always include specs, units, and grade
No expected delivery date — suppliers deprioritize undated POs
Mismatched currencies — state the currency explicitly on the PO
Missing approver — finance will reject the resulting invoice

Skip the Manual Work

Use the free purchase order generator to build, number, and PDF a PO in under 90 seconds. Pair it with the PO format guide for examples of every field.